Firsts for Women in the Wisconsin Government

This timeline showcases the groundbreaking achievements of women in Wisconsin’s state government. From the first women elected to the Legislature in 1924 to the many milestones of leadership and representation that have followed. Each achievement reflects Wisconsin’s proud history of advancing women’s participation in public life.

While full equality has not yet been achieved, Wisconsin continues to work toward that goal — building on a legacy of progress and the determination of women who have led the way.

Before women could serve in elected office, two historic milestones laid the foundation for women to serve in state government:

1919 – Wisconsin became the first state in the nation to ratify the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote.
1921 – Wisconsin enacted the nation’s first equal rights law, affirming that women and men hold equal rights under the law, including the right to hold public office.

Year	Who	First	Notes
1924 (took office Jan 1925)	Mildred Barber, Hellen M. Brooks, Helen F. Thompson	First women elected to the Assembly	Elected in 1924, served in the 57th Legislature. Members were titled “assemblymen” until 1969.
1957	Dena Smith	First woman to serve as State Treasurer	Appointed after her husband’s death. Elected in 1960, becoming the first woman elected to a statewide constitutional office.
1973	Virginia Hart	First woman appointed to a Governor’s Cabinet Post	Appointed as Secretary of the Department of Regulations and Licensing.
1973	Barbara Thompson	First woman elected as State Superintendent of Education
1974 (took office Jan 1975)	Kathryn Morrison	First woman elected to the State Senate	Elected from the 17th Senate District, nearly 50 years after the first women entered the Assembly.
1976	Shirley Abrahamson	First woman to serve as Supreme Court Justice	Appointed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court by Gov. Patrick Lucey; elected in 1979.
1976 (took office Jan 1977)	Marcia P. Coggs	First African-American woman in the Legislature (Assembly)	Elected from Milwaukee; served until 1993.
1979	Vel Phillips	First woman elected Secretary of State and first African-American woman in the nation elected to a statewide office	Earlier: first woman and first African-American on Milwaukee’s Common Council (1956) and first Black woman judge in Wisconsin (1971).
1985	Susan Engeleiter	First woman Senate Minority Leader	Marked the first time a woman led a party caucus in the Senate.
1987	Betty Jo Nelsen	First woman Assembly Minority Leader	First woman to lead a party caucus in the Assembly.
1991	Barbara Notestein	First woman Assistant Majority Leader in the Assembly	Served as Assistant Majority Leader during the 90th and 91st Legislatures (1991–94).
1992 (took office Jan 1993)	Tammy Baldwin	First openly lesbian woman elected to the State Assembly	Elected from the 78th District; among the first openly LGBT state legislators in the U.S.
1996	Shirley Abrahamson	First woman to serve as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court	After two decades on the Court, became Chief Justice by seniority (then the selection method).
2001	Margaret Farrow	First woman to serve as Lieutenant Governor
2002	Barbara Lawton	First woman elected as Lieutenant Governor
2002	Peg Lautenschlager	First woman elected as Attorney General
2003	Mary Panzer	First woman Senate Majority Leader	After serving as Minority Leader, became Majority Leader in the 2003 session.
2010 (took office Jan 2011)	JoCasta Zamarripa	First Latina woman elected to the Legislature (Assembly)	Elected from Milwaukee.
2014	Pat Strachota	First woman Assembly Majority Leader
2015	Mary Lazich	First woman Senate President (presiding officer of a chamber)	First woman to preside over either chamber of the Wisconsin Legislature.
2020 (took office Jan 2021)	Francesca Hong	First Asian American (and first Asian-American woman) in the Legislature (Assembly)	Elected from Madison’s 76th District; widely noted as Wisconsin’s first Asian American state legislator.